Chapter 268: The Runaway Bride

It had to be said, Qiao Ruyan had truly saved the Qiao family.

Although Xiao Li didn’t give Qiao Lanzhi a second thought, things would have been different if Qiao Ruyan hadn’t intervened. Removing a governor was a simple matter of a word from Xiao Li. And while the Qiao family might not have been completely destroyed, they would have certainly lost any chance of ever entering officialdom again.

Because she admired Qiao Ruyan, Xiao Li was in a good mood and didn’t bother to dwell on the matter with Qiao Lanzhi at all.

One Qiao Lanzhi wasn’t worth getting worked up over.

As for that Governor Qiao, someone else would be sent to investigate him.

They traveled for another full day, arriving at a city called Songzhou the following evening.

As the procession entered the city, they saw that the streets were bustling with activity. It turned out the son of the Governor of Songzhou was getting married.

A wedding was a grand, joyous occasion. Xiao Li had her people go arrange their accommodations while she took Hong Yue and Ziyue to watch the excitement.

The street below was packed shoulder to shoulder, so Xiao Li had to pay for a private room on the second floor of a teahouse.

The tea had just been served when the POP-CRACKLE of firecrackers erupted, followed by the distant sound of suona horns.

“The bride is coming! The bride is coming…”

“Wedding candy, wedding candy…”

Children ran about happily in the street, cheering and craning their necks in anticipation, waiting for the procession to arrive and toss out wedding candy.

Even the adults were looking on with eager anticipation.

“I heard the governor specially sent people to the Capital City to buy this wedding candy. It’s from one of the Empress’s factories. It’s supposed to be beautiful and delicious.”

“Wow, something even the Empress eats? That must be so expensive! The governor is really willing to just toss it out?”

“Ah, you don’t know, do you? Although the Empress is the one who had the candy made, the price isn’t high. They say it’s specifically so the common people can afford sweets. They’re not allowed to raise the price or resell it, or else it’s against the law.”

Hearing this, the people around them were filled with envy. “Then the people in the Capital City are really getting a great deal.”

“Hah, you’re mistaken there. This deal isn’t just for the people in the Capital City. I heard the Empress is going to open a shop in every city to sell things from her factories. Stuff like candy, salt, and oil will all be affordable for everyone.”

“Wow, that would be wonderful! I hope they open soon.”

“The Empress not only waived taxes but is also making sure the common folk can afford to eat. She’s a truly good Emperor.”

Xiao Li never expected to hear the common people praising her here.

Hong Yue was incredibly excited, her face flushing. “They’re praising you, Your Majesty! You care for the people, and the people are grateful. Our country will definitely get better and better.”

Although Hong Yue was a maid, she was by no means ignorant. Following Xiao Li and listening to Her Majesty discuss state affairs with the ministers, she had learned a great deal through exposure. Her perspective and understanding had long since ascended to a much higher level.

The more she understood about the workings of the court, the more she admired her master.

Now, hearing the people praise Her Majesty, she felt a shared sense of pride.

Ziyue leaned against a pillar. He didn’t say anything, but his smiling gaze was fixed on Xiao Li.

‘I will give my all to protect her.’

In the time it took to have this conversation, the bridal sedan chair arrived amidst the celebratory music.

“POP! CRACKLE!”

Firecrackers exploded on the ground, and a maid holding a basket grabbed a handful of candy and tossed it out. The colorful sweets instantly captured everyone’s attention.

A crowd of people surged forward to grab them, their cheers rising in waves.

“Quick, quick!”

“Mine, mine!”

“Don’t grab it, I saw it first!”

Xiao Li leaned out slightly, wanting to get a look at today’s groom. But instead, she saw the curtain of the sedan thrown open. The bride suddenly burst out, not even caring that she fell to the ground. She rolled, scrambled back to her feet, and ran.

Taking advantage of everyone being distracted by the scramble for candy, she quickly darted into an alleyway on the other side and vanished in the blink of an eye.

The sedan carriers were stunned into a stupor by this sudden turn of events.

“Ah! The bride ran away!”

Finally, someone’s shout startled everyone.

In an instant, the entire wedding procession descended into chaos as a crowd swarmed off to catch the bride.

Xiao Li lifted her teacup and took a large gulp to calm her nerves. The next moment, she shot to her feet. “Hong Yue, go find Rong Qing. Ziyue, you’ll take me after the bride.”

Neither of them understood why Xiao Li wanted to chase the bride, but their first instinct was to obey.

Ziyue’s Qinggong was superb. He took Xiao Li with him and gave chase directly from the rooftops.

“Quick, quick, catch her!”

“There she is, over there!”

The bright red dress was far too conspicuous, and with so many people in pursuit, she was frantically fleeing. In the blink of an eye, she was about to run straight into their encirclement.

Xiao Li: “Get in front of the bride.”

Ziyue pushed himself so hard his feet were practically smoking, finally managing to catch up to the bride just ahead of the crowd.

He had just landed on the eaves of a roof when Xiao Li flipped down into the alley, landing perfectly to intercept the fleeing bride.

“Ah!”

The bride, in a state of panic, couldn’t stop in time and crashed right into Xiao Li’s arms.

Thinking she had been caught, she struggled desperately. “Let me go! Let me go!”

Xiao Li quickly grabbed her hands. “It is Us!”

Hearing that voice, the bride looked up in disbelief. The moment she saw Xiao Li’s face clearly, she looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

Xiao Li clamped a hand over her mouth while quickly stripping off her outer wedding gown.

“Ziyue!”

Ziyue immediately caught it, wrapped it around himself, and ran off in another direction. Meanwhile, Xiao Li pulled the bride into a corner to hide. Only after the pursuing crowd had rushed past did they dare to breathe again.

“SOB SOB SOB…”

The bride hugged Xiao Li’s waist tightly, burying her face in her arms and letting out stifled sobs.

Xiao Li could barely breathe from the force of her grip.

“Alright, this isn’t the time for crying.”

Xiao Li led her back through the alley, dodging people along the way. After taking a few detours, she finally spotted Rong Qing, who had come to find them.

She had him find a cloak, which they wrapped around the bride before taking her back to their lodgings.

The moment they were back in the room and the door was shut, the bride threw her arms around Xiao Li.

“SOB… Your Majesty… SOB SOB… Your Majesty…”

Xiao Li was exasperated. ‘This girl is such a crybaby, one made of tears.’ She was truly at a loss for words.

She pulled her over to a seat and poured her a cup of water. “You can take your time crying. When you’re done, you can tell me how you ended up as a bride.”

When the bride had first thrown open the curtain, her face had flashed into view, and even Xiao Li had been startled.

She truly hadn’t expected to see Wang Wanqing here, much less as a runaway bride.

She had even suspected she’d seen wrong, but her instincts told her to give chase immediately. To think it really was this girl.

‘It’s a good thing I went over for a closer look out of curiosity. If this girl had been caught, who knows what would have happened to her.’

Looking at Xiao Li, Wang Wanqing felt incredibly wronged, but also incredibly relieved.

She quickly wiped her tears and eagerly began to recount her ordeal.

“Ten days ago, a message suddenly arrived from my family saying my mother was sick. They said she’d been ill for a month and that no medicine was working. Apparently, she had fallen out of bed a few days prior, her condition had worsened, and she was on the verge of death. I didn’t even have time to think. I was rushed back home, terrified the entire journey that I wouldn’t see my mother one last time. But I never imagined that when I got back, they would just shut the main gates and lock me up.”

“My mother wasn’t sick at all. Instead, the manor was decorated with red silk. They had all conspired to trick me into coming back to get married.”